Panthers cornerback Donte Jackson doesn’t have to worry about the game moving too fast for his feet.
Jackson bested other NFL players in order to finish second to 49ers wide receiver Marquise Goodwin in a recent 40-yard dash competition and that speed helped him earn an immediate spot in the starting lineup after being drafted in the second round last year.
Jackson had 73 tackles and four interceptions while starting every game as a rookie, but feels there’s room for improvement in the “mental aspect” of combating whatever offenses want to do against the Carolina defense. He believes making those strides would allow him to make further gains in terms of his standing on the team.
“Obviously, the guys ask for a little more out of me this year,” Jackson said, via the Charlotte Observer. “I kind of have a bigger role in the defense, even though I played a big role as a rookie. The older guys are really looking at me like a veteran leader now. So that’s kind of something different for me to get used to.”
The Panthers didn’t acquire any cornerbacks this year, so they’re banking on Jackson’s improvement helping to lift the play on the back end of the defense in 2019.